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Senate committee hears AFN/UAF roadmap to reduce Alaska Native overrepresentation in prisons
Summary
On Feb. 20, the Senate Judiciary Committee received an AFN- and University of Alaska–led report that lays out recommendations — from expanding tribal courts and rethinking probation/parole conditions to investing in early childhood and substance-misuse treatment — to reduce Alaska Native overrepresentation in Alaska’s criminal justice system.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 20 took testimony on a report produced by the Alaska Federation of Natives and University of Alaska researchers that recommends a series of policy and funding changes aimed at reducing the overrepresentation of Alaska Native people in the state’s criminal justice system.
Kendra Kloster, director of government relations for the Alaska Federation of Natives, told the committee that "Alaska Native people have experienced disproportionately high rates of incarceration reflecting deep systematic inequalities," and noted the report’s headline finding that Alaska Native people make up "14 to 19%" of the state population while representing "44% of those incarcerated in state prisons." Katie Cueva, an associate professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for Alaska Native Health Research, added data context, saying the report’s 2023 snapshots showed 29% of people on pretrial supervision, 42% of inmates, and 39% of those on probation or parole were Alaska Native, and that those shares vary by year and region.
The report — a product of House Bill 66 (2024) that subcontracted data analysis to the University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center and community research to UAF — centers recommendations in several areas. Presenters emphasized expanding tribal and therapeutic courts and creating sustained funding for those courts; increasing culturally grounded early interventions (including prenatal care and early childhood mental-health screening); expanding mental-health and substance-misuse treatment for people while incarcerated and at release; improving reentry housing with integrated services; and growing Alaska Native representation across the justice‑system workforce.
Rick Haskins Garcia of the Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center described Alaska’s court landscape and said tribes and state courts share concurrent jurisdiction in many matters. He cited dual‑jurisdiction bench models (a tribal judge and a state judge working together) as a promising approach to avoid conflicting orders and to incorporate tribal perspectives into case decisions.
Committee members pressed for operational detail. Sen. Tobin asked who sets parole and probation conditions; April Wilkerson, deputy commissioner at the Department of Corrections, told the committee parole conditions are set by the parole board and probation conditions are set by courts, and acknowledged statutory requirements and risk assessments influence those decisions. In exchange, members raised a central concern in the report: when mandatory statutory conditions exist, they can effectively guarantee failure for people returning to their communities. The presenters said the report recommends reviewing statutory conditions and parole practices so that supervision requirements align with available housing, services and culturally appropriate supports.
Presenters and advisory members repeatedly stressed funding barriers. Kendra Kloster and Rick Garcia described chronic underfunding for tribal justice systems and noted that competitive federal grants are difficult for small, remote tribal governments to access because of limited staff and broadband constraints. As one senator observed during questioning, expanding statewide culturally responsive pre‑K would cost roughly $17 million and current allocations were cited at $6 million.
When asked for near‑term priorities, presenters offered three cost‑effective starting points: reexamine probation/parole conditions that set people up to fail; invest in early‑childhood interventions; and expand substance‑misuse treatment in custody and at release (including medications and continuity of care to reduce overdose risk).
Brad Merstel of the University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center told the committee the full data analysis is included in the report appendix and offered follow‑up assistance. Presenters also proposed a permanent Alaska Native–led task force or a second phase of study to deepen community engagement, set implementation benchmarks and sustain cross‑agency work.
The committee did not take votes on policy changes during the hearing. Chair Sen. Klayman closed the session and said the panel will resume on Feb. 23 to continue related presentations and begin a hearing on SB 251 (Workers' Compensation Appeals Commission).
